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Cambodia’s flood death toll reaches 14

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) — At least 14 Cambodian people were killed by flash floods that have been hitting some provinces in the country since last month, according to the report of Cambodian Red Cross on Wednesday.

Among the dead, 9 were in Banteay Meanchey province bordering Thailand, 4 in central Kampong Thom and 1 in northwestern Siem Reap, said the report.

Keo Vy, chief of the Cabinet of National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), said that flash floods have hit about 8 provinces including Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear, Kampong Thom, Takeo, Pailin, Kampong Chhnang and Preah Sihanouk. “Banteay Meanchey province is suffering the worst from the floods,” he told Xinhua over telephone.

Some 14,100 families have been affected including 4,060 families were evacuated to higher grounds, he said.

Meanwhile, Sam Sereiroth, secretary-general of the education secretariat at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, said on Wednesday that some 140 schools in these affected provinces have been submerged, affecting some 49,000 students.

“These schools will be closed until the floodwaters recede,” he told Xinhua over telephone.

Cambodia will be suffering from the impact of a tropical storm Gaemi from Oct. 4-8 and 13 provinces out of the country’s 24 cities and provinces will suffer strong winds and flooding, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology on Tuesday.

The storm will be brewing from the South China Sea and it will hit the coast of Vietnam this weekend.

“The Ministry would like to appeal to local authorities and people living in the areas along rivers to be on high alert to avoid dangers and property damage due to the storm,” said the statement signed by the minister, Lim Kean Hor. “The Ministry also wishes to appeal to maritime fishermen to suspend their fishing during the warning period.”

Floods usually hit Cambodia between August and October. Last year, the floods killed at least 250 Cambodian people and affected some 1.4 million people in the country, according to the NCDM.